Israel claims to have found first Palestinian Islamic State cell

Israel said on Sunday it had cracked the first Islamic State cell on its soil, made up of seven Arab citizens who would be prosecuted on charges of planning attacks in the Jewish state and communicating with the insurgent group in Syria, Reuters reported.

“The defendants, including a lawyer who was representing himself in court, denied the charges of belonging to an illegal group, aiding terrorism and contacting foreign agents,” a Justice Ministry spokesman said after a gag order on the case was eased.

Though members of Israel’s 20 per cent Arab minority rarely turn to armed violence, many chafe at state authority and security officials worry about Islamist doctrines taking root.

“Dozens of Israeli Arabs and Palestinians have travelled to Syria and Iraq to join insurgent groups.” Israel’s Shin Bet domestic intelligence agency said in a statement released on 4 January. Shin Bet claims to have broken up a cell in the occupied West Bank linked to Islamic State.

“The seven Israeli Arab suspects, aged 22 to 40 and all from the northern Galilee region, were arrested in November and December and told investigators they had undergone radical Islamist studies and prepared weapons and funding for attacks,” Shin Bet added.